October 29, 2012

I mentioned last post that I am crazed about pears this time of year. Well, I couldn't resist another pear recipe for you....

Ever since we removed wheat from our kitchen four years ago, I've been making all sorts of almond shortbread. Almond meal and butter make such a delicious team - who needs wheat anyway. Now that it's pear season... an herbaceous pear tart with a buttery almond crust seems just the thing to satisfy, so this is just the recipe I though to share in the autumn issue of Kinfolk and I wanted to share with you too!

Using rosemary in the tart dough, and bay in the pear compote, we end up with a good hit of garden herbs. Keep in mind, that both the almond tart crust and the pear compote are wonderful eaten separately as well.

Mix all ingredients, except for the 4 extra sprigs of rosemary. Using your fingertips, press dough into the bottoms and sides of four 5 inch tart pans (buttered or nonstick). My girl Lilah loves to help with this part.

Repeatedly poke the surface of the dough with a fork. Bake 10 minutes, then poke the surface again with a fork to keep the dough from bubbling up too much. Return tarts to the oven and bake another 5-8 minutes until deep golden brown. Let cool. Serve at room temp, topped with pear compote (see recipe below.)

Combine above ingredients in small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Cook vigorously for 10 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid burning. Pour compote into a jar. Let cool. If you aren’t going to serve the tarts right away, cover your jar and refrigerate until later.

Just before serving, scoop pear compote onto the tart shells. Top each little tart with a sprig of rosemary, just for the beauty of it.

Sarah, I'm so glad to hear you say that! Almond flour is a delight - it adds so much depth and richness - and I don't know if I would have given it such a chance if I hadn't had to take wheat from my diet. I hope you'll give it a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed:)xoE

Almond and Rosemary sounds like an incredible flavor combo for a not-your-every-day crust. I can never get enough of either of those! :) I hope you and the family have a lovely and festive Halloween. Eat something yummy for me!

Thanks Christina Marie. We're gearing up for the big night on Wednesday... I always love walking around the neighborhood on Halloween seeing the kids runny around in their costumes. Such good old fashioned fun!xoE

I adore the idea of an almond and honey tart crust, definitely going to try this soon! And rosemary works so wonderfully with pastry - I've used it in treacle tart before and it's perfect to counteract the sweetness. Delicious!

Do you have a bay tree in your yard? You must have one nearby, at least. I think fresh bay leaves are so incredible, and I haven't been able to pick any since my time in southern France. So different from dried bay, I think. So flavorful.

Beautiful recipe! I love anything with almond flour, as it reminds me of madeleines (of course). While I don't have any tart pans (because as you mentioned above, I wouldn't be able to stop making tarts!), I might make these in a muffin pan. Can't resist those autumn flavors! xo

Hey there Emma, I don't have a bay tree in my little yard, but we have tons in the neighborhood growing like weeks. I often pick a branch on my morning walks. California bay is especially pungent and I love it!Let me know if you try the tarts. I'd love to hear what you think!

I love rosemary in so many things and I am enjoy using almond flour in my cooking. These look spectacular and delicious....so elegant too. I bet the aroma was beckoning.

For some reason my bay leaf tree and my rosemary bush died this year. Something attacked them and I didn't catch it in time. I I will have to start with another branch and pop it into the soil. It was just getting to be the right size too. Onward and upward. Beautiful pictures by the way.

Erin, these tarts look incredible! I'm in love with pears too right now, and how wonderful that you paired (!!) them with rosemary. I've never baked with almond meal, but will search it out. Thank you!

Erin, what a beautiful tart. I haven't cooked with pears yet this autumn, I should get a move on. You're always such an inspiration. Congratulations on your contribution to Kinfolk. I love that magazine.

Kimberley, I had no idea you were gluten-free. Wow there are so many of us! You're so right...GF baking can really feel like the Wild West, but it's also so fun - we are less constrained by the rules of traditional baking. Four years ago when we went gluten-free, I had to quickly become a good baker to make treats for my kiddos so they wouldn't be too bummed at having a GF household. I can't say I've minded the treats either! xoE

This looks delicious. I love the addition of the rosemary to the pie crust. How clever! My kids eat about a zillion pears a day this time of year, and this looks like a fun recipe to involve them in too!

How fantastic that your daughter can make the crust by herself! I love baking and cooking with my kids. We are leaning (slowly) into a more plant based diet in our house, so I'll be making a vegan version of these with the kiddos soon. Thanks for the recipe!

Hello Erin,I have to share with you that as I was making yet another batch of this lovely pear compote yesteday afternoon, I apparently attracted a swarm of bees as I was cooking it. They swept one by one into my kitchen and had to be subdued with some sage smoke and the old stovepipe opening in the ceiling securely covered to keep them out until I could finish cooking and hide the pears in honey in the fridge. Whew!

Oh no. That's so frustrating. You can buy blanched almonds (I usually see them as slivered almonds) and grind them in a coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, blender or food processor. Even a coarse grind would be good for these rustic little tarts. I hope this helps. Happy cooking, Erin

Hi Salvegging, I haven't tried freezing the almond flour dough and am not sure if it will hold its texture.. but maybe worth a try? That said, the dough couldn't be much easier to make for quick tartlets anytime:)